Half of affordable new homes in rural England could be at risk if planning rules relaxed, analysis shows

Exclusive: National Housing Federation says ending quotas for developers could cost 32,000 homes over 10 years

Half of all affordable housing supply in rural England could be under threat under plans being considered by ministers to relax regulations for private housing developers, according to analysis.

The government has proposed ending affordable housing quotas - known as section 106 agreements - for new developments of between 10 and 49 houses in an effort to jumpstart sluggish housebuilding rates. Ministers are due to make a final decision within weeks on whether developers should be allowed to make cash payments to local authorities instead.